Has your water bill gone through the roof? While all leaks are of deep concern and are capable of significant damage, nothing is worse than a slab leak. It can go unnoticed for some time, and the only red flag is your water bill. In the vast majority of slab leaks, the water will eventually make it to the top. Verifying that you have a water leak is the best place to start. In some cases, the water may be leaking from your irrigation system; but either way, the leak needs to be stopped. There are many ways a homeowner can save themselves the cost of leak detection services. Once you see that you have a high water bill, it’s time to act quickly.
A Step By Step Process To Discovering A Water Leak
- The process works best if there are two people. First, shut off all the water in your home.
- Go down to the water meter, remove the lid, and open the meter. Check to see if it has a flow indicator. It’s the rotating wheel on the meter. It can identify small amounts of running water. If the flow indicator is moving with all the water turned off to the house–––you have a water leak.
- Every home should have a water shut off valve and irrigation shut off valve. Turn off the shut-off to the house, then recheck the flow indicator if it stops. That will tell you from the street to the shut-off valve the pipe is OK.
- Turn the water valve back on, then turn the irrigation valve off. If the flow indicator stops, then the leak is in your irrigation; but if it continues to spin, then the problem is in your home.
- If the problem is in your home, you can take it a step further by turning off the hot and cold shut-valves located on the top of your water heater one at a time. Check the meter after you shut off each valve. If the flow meter stops with the hot water off, you have a slab leak in the hot water pipe. The same holds true for the cold water. As I said, the project works best with two people using their smartphones to communicate.
Look For A Slab Leak, Feel For A Slab Leak, and Smell For A Slab Leak
Once you know you have a slab leak; look, feel, and smell. If the leak is in the hot water pipe, then chances are you’ll have warm spots on your floor. You can take your bare feet and walk through the house feeling for any warm areas. You can also walk across all areas of your carpet, feeling for moisture that’s made its way through the slab. Smelling for mildew in the carpeted areas can also help you locate the leak. Next, look carefully throughout the house for any indication of water. For example, look for discolored tiles, look at the grout in your tiles. If it’s darker than other areas, chances are you found your leak. If you have wood or laminate floors, check for buckling. Look carefully for large dark spots on the garage floor, that’s also an indication of moisture below.
We Use The Latest Plumbing Techniques And Equipment
Once you’ve located the leak’s general area, it’s time to call in reinforcements; your plumbing technician will use other equipment to find the precise location of the leak. The device uses an amplifier and pin-point accuracy to find the leak. When you need a slab leak repaired, trust the experts from Big B’s Plumbing. We use the latest plumbing techniques and equipment to get every job completed successfully. We’re an accredited A+ rated company Better Business Bureau with hundreds of 5-start reviews.